Off With The Training Wheels

It's official. "Job Hunt '08" is over. The college training wheels are almost off. I am now completely prepared to face the world as a so-called "real person," and I couldn't be more excited. I'd found the apartment first, and now I have the job to pay for the apartment. It's pretty invigorating, and now I can officially take that sigh of relief (SIGH).

Following my graduation from Boston University in May, I will proudly be starting my position at Schneider Associates as Social Media Coordinator. I am extremely enthusiastic about the start of my professional career, and I believe Schneider Associates and this specific opportunity is a perfect fit for the PR practitioner and social media enthusiast in me.
While it's a huge relief that I have a job waiting for me after graduation, I still consider myself pretty lucky and, to those still searching, I would like to offer some advice that has helped me along the way ...

• Don't Panic. You're not alone. I am probably in the minority of graduating students who already have a job set for after graduation. It won't kill you if there's a gap between Commencement day and your first day on the job. Still, if you haven't started pursuing your job search, you should start now. Those loans aren't going to pay back themselves.
  

• Don't Settle. With graduation looming, it may be tempting to accept the first offer you receive, but if you are doubtful whether the position is a good fit, take a step back and think about it. In a month or two, will you truly be happy working there? It may be a better idea to keep looking. If someone already wants you, chances are there are other, more suitable options out there.

• Stay Positive, and Be Confident. Sounding desperate is not going to be an attractive quality to employers when you're on an interview. If you lead them to believe you have other opportunities or offers on the table, you can position yourself as a competitive and desirable candidate.

• Be Resourceful. Use every resource available to you. Check out your college's Office of Career Services. Utilize job posting Web sites like CareerBuilder and Monster. Your friend's mother works in the same industry? Let her know you're looking and ask if she has any helpful contacts. I can't stress this enough - USE YOUR NETWORK!

While it may be easy to stress about life after graduation, you should also consider what a huge accomplishment graduating is. We've put a lot of time and effort into the past four years, and that's cause for celebration in itself.

Pretty soon, we'll all be able to unscrew those training wheels.